Milan enters the narrative as a city seeking terms during King Arthur’s advance through Italy. Its people respond to Arthur’s capture of Urbine by sending him money and asking him to receive them as subjects, turning the campaign’s military pressure into a negotiated act of submission.

Place in the Roman Campaign

Arthur’s campaign against Rome follows his rejection of the Roman demand for tribute and his declaration that he intends to claim imperial sovereignty. After his forces take Urbine, Arthur establishes control there and appoints a captain from his own country. Word of that victory reaches Milan, whose people approach him rather than resist his advance.

Submission and Terms

Milan’s envoys offer substantial sums of money and ask Arthur to show mercy. They promise to become his subjects permanently and to render homage and fealty for their lands, including Pleasance, Pavia, Petersaint, and the port of Tremble. Their further offer is an annual payment of a million gold for the duration of Arthur’s life. The account records the offer and the surrounding conquests, but does not separately describe Arthur’s response to Milan or the city’s subsequent administration.

Narrative Significance

The episode shows how Arthur’s Italian campaign expands through both conquest and submission. Milan’s approach follows the fall of a nearby city and presents allegiance, land, and recurring revenue as terms of political incorporation. In the broader account, Arthur proceeds through Tuscany, taking towns and castles and devastating those that refuse obedience; Milan is distinguished in the narrative by seeking his lordship and offering homage rather than being described as captured by assault.